1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game which simulates in minature, the action of a full-scale outdoor baseball game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The sport of baseball has long been considered the national sport of the United States and is avidly followed by millions of fans throughout the year from spring training to the climactic world series in the fall. There is even the so-called "hot stove" league which argues, trades, plays and transactions throughout the few winter months when baseball is not actively being played. There have been attempts made to provide baseball substitutes for these millions of fans in the form of games which are played with cards, dice and boards and even electronics in the form of both hand-held and TV screen/computer displays. All of these prior attempts have had the major drawback of providing only very limited participation by the players. With the card and dice-type games, there is very little skill that can be applied by the player. In the computerized electronic games, there is also little opportunity for the player to demonstrate skill as many of the actions are only initiated by the player and are completed by the computer. For example, in one well known electronic hand-held baseball game, the player initiates a pitch by pushing a button and then "swings" by pushing another button. The timing and style of the pitch are strictly under the control of the computer as are the results of the swing. Such an arrangement can provide only limited satisfaction for the player and only short-term interest as the skill level of the player rapidly exceeds that provided by the electronics. The present invention overcomes many of the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a baseball simulation game in which the results are directly related to the competitive skills of two opponents.